From nearly the outset, the Avetts' acoustic music filtered its country/folk/honky tonk roots through the youthful punk/indie/pop/rock lens of their late '90s bands. The first Avett Brothers release came in 2000, when the band was still a side project of Nemo, Scott Avett’s college band which had eventually absorbed Seth Avett’s high school group Margo.
After Nemo's dissolution, the brothers concentrated on their acoustic side hustle with upright bassist Bob Crawford, quickly establishing their brilliance at hybridizing their genre influences into a sound that was vaguely reminiscent and yet singularly their own. Enraptured critics compared the Avetts to Townes Van Zandt and the Beatles and their fan base grew exponentially as they graduated from indie darlings to semi-major label powerhouse with their signing to Rick Rubin's American Recordings.
The Avetts' 20th anniversary should have been a busy celebratory year but, like everything everywhere, was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They managed to record and release The Third Gleam, the third installment in their stripped-down-to-a-trio series of EPs, and perform three dozen dates, but the debut of the stage musical Swept Away, inspired by and featuring the Avetts' music, was postponed until earlier this year.
And now the full band – featuring cellist Joe Kwon, and touring members Mike Marsh (drums), Bonnie Avett-Rini (piano) and Tania Elizabeth (violin, vocals) – are returning to the road with a vengeance after a two-year stretch that saw them play little more than two months worth of gigs. If there was ever a prime time to witness the might and humble majesty of the Avett Brothers, it would be any night on this tour. Additional note: this will be the first performance of Kings Island’s recently resuscitated concert series at Timberwolf Amphitheatre.
The Avett Brothers will play Timberwolf Amphitheatre at 8 p.m. June 28. Gates open at 7 p.m. Masks and other COVID-19 protocols are optional. Info: visitkingsisland.com.
Stay connected with CityBeat. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, Apple News and Reddit.
Send CityBeat a news or story tip or submit a calendar event.
